Traveling With a Demon
by MosukeHinata
Summary: With a promise of intense training to get stronger, Naruto takes Kyuubi up on his offer to leave the village. Will Naruto find something more than just strength on this training trip? Will he find love? KyuuNaru yaoi
1. Disembark!

**This is for Lari16. Thanks for the pairing idea. I had some trouble coming up with a theme…but I one eventually came to me, so…here it is! ^-^ I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, he belongs to Kishimoto…sadly…I cannot manipulate the characters to my liking…nor can I decide the ending of the series. Boo! -3-**

* * *

Chapter One:

A tiny orange blur flies through the streets of Konoha, attempting to get away from the furious mob chasing after him. Breaths come in pants as the blur heads towards the village gate. 'I'm so close!' Tiny hands grip the scroll tightly to not drop it early. Just as he reaches the gate, he throws the scroll at the chuunin guard and races past.

Iruka blinks in surprise and looks down at the scroll. He unrolls it and reads it.

_I hereby give Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto permission to leave Konoha on a training trip. Please allow him passage._

_-Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage_

Iruka blinks and scratches his head. 'That was Naruto?' He looks up at the mob that glares down the road in the direction where Naruto went and some turn and start to leave. He sighs and looks up at the sky. 'At least the village will be better and calmer now that Naruto's gone…god, I'm sorry, Yondaime-sama. I shouldn't be thinking that.' He looks down the road. 'Please be careful Naruto. When you come back, you'll be greeted with smiles.'

* * *

Naruto gasps for breath as he leans over with his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down his face. He looks behind him, no one had followed him. "I'm finally free," he whispers quietly. He straightens up before looking around. He smiles lightly and stares up at the starry night sky. "You can come out now, Kyuu."

The bushes rustle slightly as a young boy, around the same age as Naruto, comes walking out into the moonlight. His crimson red spiky hair flows slightly in the wind; his red demonic eyes that can pierce through someone's very core shine eerily. The playful smirk dancing across his face widens as Naruto looks away slightly. "Ne, Naru, we gonna go or what?" he asks in a deep, sultry voice.

Naruto shivers and glares half-heartedly at Kyuubi with a blush. "You're only supposed to be seven; your voice shouldn't sound like that!" Kyuubi chuckles deeply.

"Okay, we'll have _you_ do all the talking. Let's just go okay?" Naruto nods and starts walking down the road, pulling up the hood of his cloak up. Kyuubi smirks, does the same thing as Naruto, and follows him.

* * *

Whispers run rapidly through a small ninja-less town as two young boys, one with sun-kissed blonde hair and the other with crimson red hair wander through the village. The two boys walk up to a small hotel and rent a room for a few days.

Once in the room, Naruto tugs off his cloak and sets it down. He sits on his bed and turns to Kyuubi. "We're gonna have to change your name, Kyuu. If anyone asks our names, we need something to tell them I should probably change my name temporarily also."

Kyuubi nods wisely as he sets his cloak down also. He sighs as he sits on his bed. He looks up at the ceiling and frowns. "How about mine be Yuudai and you can be Kamenosuke." Kyuubi grins evilly at Naruto's frown.

"So you're saying that you're 'hero' while I'm 'turtle's helper'? Oi! Pick different names!" Naruto glares at Kyuubi as he sighs and mutters a quiet 'fine.'

"I'll be Tenma and you can be Raiden. Better?" Naruto shrugs and lies down. "We don't need to say last names, okay?" Again, Naruto nods. Kyuubi nods and looks out the window. "We got a lot of work ahead of us if you wanna become strong, Kit. We'll start your training in the next town."

Naruto nods and he falls victim to the alluring grasp of sleep.

* * *

_Leaves rustle as a boy only 3 years old quietly makes his way through the bushes. As he finally untangles himself from those evil branches, he looks out in front of him. His eyes are met with the most breath-taking sight, a lake, purely untouched by human construction, or rather, destruction. 'Is nature supposed to look like this?'_

"_**Yes,**__" a booming voice says inside the boy's head. His eyes widen and he looks around frantically. The voice chuckles before saying, "__**I am the Kyuubi. I was sealed within you the day you were born. I was forced, against my will, mind you, to attack Konoha. Your Hokage, the Yondaime, sealed me within you to protect the village. I was being controlled that day; I harbor no animosity towards your village.**__"_

_Naruto stares out towards the lake as something slowly becomes tangible upon the surface of the water. "What's out there?" He blinks as a little boy, no more than five appears sitting on the water surface. 'A boy? How can he sit on the water?' Naruto gets the surprise of his young life when he hears this "young boy's" voice._

"_**Hey! It's me, Kyuubi. This lake is special. It's called, Shizen no Genshou, Natural Phenomena. When I'm here, I can temporarily gain a human body,**__" Kyuubi stands up and walks towards Naruto. "__**This technique I'm using isn't a demonic one. It's a technique all shinobi can learn to do. I can teach you it…but I'll need a permanent human body.**__"_

_Naruto blinks as the young boy stops about a foot before the edge of the lake. "You would make me strong if I help you get a human body?" Kyuubi nods. "How?"_

_Kyuubi gestures towards the lake. "__**Just drink this water. The purity of it will cause my body to solidify. After two years of you drinking this water, my body will become solid enough for me to move outside of this lake and when that happens, I advice that we leave the village.**__"_

_Naruto's eyes widen. "But I can't leave!"_

"_**Why not? You don't have any attachments here! Besides, if you insist, we can come back after you become stronger. And it's not like we're leaving so you can destroy this place! If you want, we'll still protect it, just outside of the village.**__" Naruto looks away, contemplating his options. Suddenly, he drops to his knees and cups his hands. He scoops some water in them and he takes a deep breath with his eyes closed. He opens his eyes and drinks the water from his hands._

_He marvels at the taste. He sighs contently as he lets his now empty hands fall. "So…I just have to take one drink a day?" Kyuubi nods and takes a step closer to Naruto._

"_**Naru, climb that tree,**__" Kyuubi points to a fairly large tree behind Naruto._

_Naruto looks behind himself and shrugs. "Okay." He walks up to the tree and he grabs a low branch with his hand. _

"_**Wait.**__" Naruto stops and looks back at Kyuubi. "__**Do it with only your feet.**__"_

_Naruto frowns. "What? How is that possible?" He backs away from the tree._

"_**You channel some chakra to your feet and start walking up. It's simple. Also, you might want to use a kunai to mark your progress,**__" Kyuubi says, sitting back down on the lake surface. "__**Once you master that, you can move on to water walking. It's basically the same thing; you just have to keep your chakra flowing to stay afloat instead of keeping it constant.**__"_

_Naruto takes a deep breath, takes out a kunai, stares at the tree and says, "Here I go!"_

* * *

Naruto blearily blinks his eyes open. He sits up groggily and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He yawns and looks out the window. It looked about…midmorning? 'Man…I slept a long time.' He stands up and stretches. He scratches his head and thinks, 'I haven't had that dream in a _long_ time.' He shrugs. 'Eh…it was the day I met Kyuu…it changed my life.' He frowns. 'Speaking of Kyuu…where is he?'

Naruto wanders around the hotel room, looking for his red haired counterpart. "Kyuu?" Just when Naruto almost decides to give up, the door opens and in walks Kyuubi, carrying a couple of swords. Kyuubi closes the door and looks up.

"Oi Naru. I was just out buying you a sword. Since you're only seven, I wouldn't suggest using it in a real battle yet, but we can still train with it!" He shows Naruto one of his famous feral grins and gives him one of the blades he was holding.

Naruto holds it in his hands, admiring the orange handle, the reinforced black steel blade. Naruto grins and takes the sheath that Kyuubi gives him and slides it in. He adjusts the sheath at his side and gives Kyuubi a thumbs up. "Thanks!"

Kyuubi smirks and says, "Let's check out the village, okay? We're only staying here a couple of days, but we might as well map out the area in case we ever come back."

Naruto nods and picks up his jacket. He turns around to see Kyuubi sneering at him. "What?"

"Let's start by looking for a clothing store. You need a new wardrobe," he opens the door and walks out of it.

Naruto frowns and yells after Kyuubi, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE WAY I DRESS!" He runs out and closes the door behind him. "KYUU!"

* * *

**Okay! That was the first chapter! ^-^ If you bothered looking, you would have been able to see a **_**tiny**_** bit of KyuuNaru. Don't worry, that will definitely be the pairing for this story. The next chapter will probably be longer.**

**-MosukeHinata**


	2. Trouble Brews

**Here's the second chapter! Tell me if you like it! ^-^**

**Pairings: KyuuNaru**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter Two:

Naruto sighs as he trudges through the village. Kyuubi glances back at him in irritation. "Quit pouting!"

Naruto makes giant anime tears fall from his eyes. "B-but my outfit was signature!"

"It was horrendous!" Kyuubi counters in annoyance.

"You're so m-ean!" He quietly cries behind Kyuubi.

Kyuubi scoffs and rolls his eyes. In his opinion, Naruto did look much better this way. Gone were the kill-me-orange pants and black t-shirt with a strange orange swirl. They are replaced by a fishnet long-sleeved shirt, covered with a black sleeveless t-shirt with the red Uzumaki symbol in the middle, a black knit cap, standard black ninja sandals, a black headband with a blank silver plate on the front, and black pants with chains to look menacing attached tightly to them so that they don't rattle. 'He looks more like a ninja now. At least he'll like his leisure outfit.'

Kyuubi smirks as he remembers the second outfit he picked out for his little protégé. For Naruto's leisure outfit, he got him some navy blue or orange t-shirts, black loose-fitting pants, and a little orange fox-eared hat. He could deal with orange when it wasn't for fighting. Fighting in orange will undoubtedly get one killed. Plus, Naruto looked cute in orange, especially when the outfits were a little too large on him.

"Quit whining, you can put on your other outfit when you get home," Kyuubi says, glaring at Naruto.

"But you burned my other outfit!"

"I bought you another," he says in that same deep, sultry voice that he had the night before. Naruto shivers as he looks at Kyuubi's smirk. He didn't really trust that smirk all too much.

'I swear he loves to taunt me with that voice.' "What does the outfit look like?"

"You'll see." That didn't quell his unease.

* * *

Naruto runs around the hotel room happily humming a little tune to himself. 'Okay, this outfit isn't so bad. And Kyuu said I get to wear it until we leave to the next town! YES!'

Kyuubi looks up from the book he was reading and smirks as Naruto slips on the carpet and falls face first. "You should be more careful." Naruto pushes himself up with his hands and shakes his head to dispose of his dizziness. He blinks a few times before turning to Kyuubi with a pout.

"The rug just moved!"

"That's a carpet. It _can't_ move."

Naruto blinks before looking down. He glances around the hotel room. It _was_ a carpet! Weird… He sits up and sheepishly scratches his head. "Hehe…guess I should take more interest in my surroundings huh?"

Kyuubi nods and gets back to his book. 'That was…cute…'

Naruto then gets up and stares at Kyuubi before jumping on his bed. "Play with me, Kyuu!"

Kyuubi's eyes widen. 'Oh my god, you do _not_ say that to a demon who has been sex-deprived for over one-hundred years! Naruto, you're too innocent!' Kyuubi glares at Naruto. "Get off my bed." Naruto pouts. 'Damn him…' "You have three seconds to get off my bed before I kick you off."

"But Kyuubi!"

"1…2…"

"I thought you'd want to play with me, Kyuubi. You said that you would!"

Kyuubi frowns and instead of saying 'three' and kicking Naruto off his bed, he says, "I made no such promise."

"Yeah you did! The night before we left! I asked you what you would do if I ended up getting really bored and asked you to play with me. You shivered and said, and I quote, 'Oh yeah, I'll definitely play with you.'"

Kyuubi blinks. 'Oh yeah…I _had_ said that. That was only because you said it that way, Naruto! God…' Kyuubi sighs and puts his book away. He eyes Naruto up and down. 'He's probably still too young to be thinking something anywhere along the lines as to what I am…DAMN!' "What do you want to play, Naruto?"

Naruto blinks and looks up at the ceiling. "Um…" before he can answer, there's a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Naruto shouts and runs up to the door. When he gets there, he opens the door and looks up at the strange man standing in front of him. "Hello?"

"Sssssssssssalutationsssssss…" is the slithery reply from the door.

'No…it couldn't be…' Kyuubi gets up and throws his book on the bed. He runs up behind Naruto and his eyes widen. 'No…I have to get Naruto out of here!' Kyuubi protectively wraps his arm around Naruto and slams the door shut. "We need to leave, NOW!"

Naruto pouts at Kyuubi. "But you said we would be staying here a few days! Now I won't be able to wear this!"

"Just wear it, we _need_ to leave!" Apparently, Naruto hadn't seen the urgency in Kyuubi's voice earlier, be now he had though. Naruto blinks before nodding in confusion and gathering his stuff. Kyuubi leaves some money on the table with the key and opens the window. Naruto doesn't ask questions as Kyuubi grabs his things and ushers Naruto outside. Once Kyuubi exits the room, he closes the window tightly. "Let's go!"

After a few hours of running through the forest nonstop, Naruto glances at Kyuubi and asks, "Ne, Kyuubi, who was that man?"

"Someone who you are to never trust…"

Naruto frowns. 'Well that didn't tell me anything.' "Okay I won't trust him, but who was he?"

Kyuubi glances at Naruto before sighing and saying, "His name is Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sanin. I don't know what the _hell_ he wants with you, but there's no way I'm letting him lay a hand on you without a fight!" Kyuubi growls lowly and his piercing red eyes become overcome with bloodlust. "That man betrayed Konoha and tried to attack it, and above all, he's in league with the man who destroyed my life, the man that forced me to attack Konoha! I'll never let men like them live."

"If you hate him so much, why didn't you kill him then?" Naruto asks innocently.

Kyuubi glances at him, "Because they would be able to track us that way. The scent of blood doesn't come off too easily, you know. They'd get a nin-dog or an Inuzuka and they'd have us pinpointed in a matter of hours." Kyuubi slows to a stop and looks around. "I guess this is a good place to start."

Naruto tilts his head slightly. "Start what, Kyuubi?"

Kyuubi gives him a feral grin. "Your training, of course!"

* * *

**And~ DONE!**

**I AM DOING A TIME SKIP BETWEEN THIS CHAPTER AND THE NEXT! I REPEAT, I AM DOING A TIME SKIP BETWEEN THIS CHAPTER AND THE NEXT!**

**There aren't going to be many of those. Also, I'll be putting whatever's in the time skips in flashbacks, not too many, of course! **

**-MosukeHinata**


	3. An Old Friend

**Hello! I'm thinking about adding some new fics, but I don't know if I should because I have so many unfinished ones already up. Could you be so kind as to take the poll on my profile and tell me if I should add them? And if in one week the majority says yes, I'll put up a new poll with the summaries and you can decide which one I should put up first.**

**Okay, now to the Waves Arc! Yeah…you might not expect some of the things that happen in this chapter, so just roll with it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter Three:

Naruto yawns as he twirls a kunai on his fingers. He looks around lazily. He frowns and closes his eyes. He sends out waves of his chakra to find nothing. He groans before sighing. 'Dammit…where are you Kyuu? I'm getting bored!' Naruto sits up and pouts as he looks around. Just then, a scroll lands in front of him. He glances at it before looking up. "Took you long enough, Kyuu."

Kyuubi grins sheepishly and jumps down. "I had to be careful. You said I shouldn't kill anyone yet. It's kind of hard not to sneak into a hideout without getting caught or killing anyone."

"It's hard, not impossible."

"I know." Kyuubi picks up the scroll and hands it to Naruto. "Gatou hired a Zabuza to take down that bridge builder. Zabuza didn't really want to go himself, so he sent some lackeys of his but they failed. Now he's planning on making an appearance himself. We have to tail that team guarding him to be able to protect Tazuna."

Naruto nods and puts away his kunai. "Let's go. We owe that old man our lives, Kyuu. We can't let him die." Kyuubi nods in understanding as he remembers that rainy night. He picks up the pace and starts heading to Wave, Naruto following closely behind.

* * *

Sakura glances around wearily. "Are you sure we should've kept going on this mission, Kakashi-sensei. It's really dangerous. I mean, Gatou _is_ a powerful tycoon."

Kiba snorts. "Yeah right! We can take anyone they throw our way, right Akamaru?" He gets a bark in response. He smirks. "Well, Sasuke and I can take anyone." Sakura glares at him and just before she can say anything, Kiba throws a kunai into a bush. He frowns. "A rabbit? I could've sworn that scent was human."

Sasuke tenses at that and Kakashi frowns before saying, "GET DOWN!" Sasuke grabs Tazuna's arm and pulls him down as the rest of his team falls to the ground. Sasuke is the first to stand back up. He looks in the direction of where the item that flew over their heads went.

'A giant sword?' Just then a man in grey striped pants and camo print arm and leg warmers lands on the handle.

"Well well, if it isn't the Hidden Mist's Missing Nin, Momochi Zabuza." Kakashi sticks his hand out in front of Kiba who had started to rush towards Zabuza. He then reaches up to his hitai-ate.

"You appear to be Sharingan Kakashi…Sorry, but the old man is mine," Zabuza says, glaring down at Kakashi.

* * *

Kyuubi suddenly twitches. "We better hurry." Naruto looks at Kyuubi in confusion before nodding and picking up the pace. "It seems Zabuza is already there."

Naruto growls. "Damn." His hand unconsciously heads to the sword strapped to his back. "I refuse to let Jiji die…" Kyuubi glances at him.

"Hey, Naru." Naruto looks at Kyuubi with a raised eyebrow. "Exactly what happened that night? I remember some things, but not everything."

Naruto gets a distant look in his eyes as he stares in front of him. "I'll tell you later, Kyuu. But, let's just say that if I ever meet Gatou again, he's not living through that meeting." Kyuubi blinks in surprise.

'Kit never wants to kill people, yet he plans on killing Gatou? Just like that? What the hell happened?' Kyuubi turns his attention in front of him. "We're here."

Naruto looks up in front of him to hear, "Eight choices…Liver, Lungs, Spine, Clavical Vein, Neck Vein, Brain, Kidneys, Heart. Which one should I go after?"

Just then a giant burst of wind flies from the forest and Zabuza gets blown into a tree. "How about none," a voice says from the middle of the road as the mist comes and surrounds the origin of the voice.

"Why did you get to say the cool line?" a second voice asks next to the first one.

"It was my turn, Raiden."

The second voice pauses before saying, "I guess it was…huh. It seems I had forgotten, Tenma." The mist around the voices dissipates and Zabuza stands, growling at the two _boys_ standing there. "It's been a while, Jiji." Raiden says, looking over his shoulder at Tazuna.

Tazuna's eyes widen. "Raiden? Tenma? No way! What are you two doing here?"

"Saving your ass," Kyuubi says, pulling out his sword. "And finally getting a real fight. You ready, Zabuza?"

"Move aside kid and maybe I'll spare your lives," Zabuza says, picking the sword up and hoisting it on his shoulder.

Kyuubi's eye twitches. "Don't call me a kid!"

Naruto sweat-drops and looks at Zabuza in pity. "Now you've done it. Even _I_ can't stop him when someone insults him by his looks." Naruto leans back on one leg and smirks as the red chakra surrounds Kyuubi. "You just sealed your death."

* * *

A few meters away standing on a branch near the top of a tree, Haku stares down at the two newcomers. 'Why do they look so familiar…?' Haku's eyes widen as the one named Raiden looks around and his eyes land on the three distinct whisker-like scars on each of his cheeks. 'Naruto…'

_A little boy with black hair sits on a snow-covered bridge, shivering in the cold. He closes his eyes and quietly lets the tears fall. Suddenly, a warm fabric is draped over his shoulders. His eyes widen and he looks up to see a boy about his age with bright blonde hair. "You shouldn't be out here in the cold dressed like that! You could get really sick!"_

"_Who…are you?" the little boy asks, pulling the fabric closer to his body. 'It's so warm…'_

"_My name's Naruto! And this brooding idiot is Kyuubi! He told me not to help you and that you would die anyway. I'm not like him. Everyone deserves a chance at life…"_

"_K-kyuubi? As in…that fox demon?"_

_Naruto closes his eyes and nods. "I am the Kyuubi's host and I found a way to get him to become tangible and have a human body. Though, it's only as old as I am… Once we left Konoha, he's been teaching me, but I still have not completely severed my ties with the village. I believe that one day I'll come back and then maybe….they'll see me as a hero. Instead of a monster they want to kill…"_

_The boy's eyes widen. "So you too…you know the pain of being rejected." Naruto looks at him in confusion. "I have a Kekkei Genkai that everyone here hates…"_

_Kyuubi's eyes widen. "You're a Hyouton user…that's a rare ability indeed." Kyuubi eyes the boy before saying, "it would be a shame for a boy with your potential to just die. We'll be staying at the hotel just inside the city. If you want to come with us, you are welcome. Just so you know, we'll be leaving this way in two days and if you're still here, you're coming with us, no exceptions."_

"_Why are you giving me an option?"_

_Kyuubi looks up at the cloudy sky. "Sometimes…things happen and you take a different path just before something can change the course of your life. I'm giving you those two days to find your true purpose. If you are unable, you will accompany Naruto and I on our journey and we'll give you a purpose." Kyuubi looks back at the boy sitting in the snow. "To be honest, I'd much rather have you find your true purpose than come with us. If someone cannot truly find their purpose, they feel as though their life has no meaning. I don't really want anyone to feel that way."_

"_Aw, you're just a big softy, Kyuu!" Naruto grins up at Kyuubi. Kyuubi glares at him before turning away. "Hey, what's your name? It would be good for friends to know each other's name!"_

_The boy blinks. "Friends?" Naruto nods. "My…my name's Haku."_

_Naruto smiles. "Well, I really hope we get to see you again, Haku! Take care of yourself, ya hear?" Haku nods and watches Naruto and Kyuubi's shrinking forms as they walk into the city._

"_Take care…friend."_

'I have to tell Zabuza-san! He can't fight them! One's a bijuu and the other is his disciple!' Haku disappears from his spot in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Kyuubi races forward and tilts his blade to slice Zabuza's neck in one hit. 'He's fast,' Zabuza thinks and before he can even take his sword off his shoulder, someone appears in front of him and blocks the attack.

Haku uses three senbon enhanced by his Hyouton chakra to counter Kyuubi's sword. Haku pushes on his senbon and Kyuubi jumps back, growling lowly. "What is the meaning of this," Zabuza asks Haku in a low voice.

'Another one? I didn't even sense any of these three newcomers, I must be getting weaker!' Sasuke thinks as he looks at Haku warily.

Kiba looks fearfully at the three boys. 'I couldn't smell them until they made their appearance! They can even hide their scent? No way!' Akamaru whimpers and hides deeper in Kiba's jacket.

'What? Another person? We were already outnumbered as it was!' Sakura thinks, gripping her kunai even more.

Kakashi's eyes narrow. 'Apparently the first two are on our side, but the last one…he's with Zabuza. I better be careful…' Kakashi's eyes linger over to the blonde boy and his red haired companion. 'Why do their chakra signatures feel so familiar?'

"I am sorry, Zabuza-san, but I cannot allow you to fight these boys," the black haired boy says, standing up straight.

Kyuubi growls as the boy for interrupting his fight. Naruto's eyes widen. "That voice…" Kyuubi stops growling and looks back at Naruto in confusion. "H-H-Haku!" Kyuubi blinks in surprise before looking back at the other boy.

"You mean…that kid we tried to recruit back in Kiri? Why the hell are you with Zabuza, kid!"

Haku stays silent, staring at the ground before looking up at Kyuubi and simply saying, "I found my purpose."

Naruto looks down sadly before saying, "I don't want to fight you, Haku. You're a friend, but if you try and attack Tazuna-Jiji, I will have no choice but to take you down. I fight for what I believe in…and I believe that I need to protect Tazuna-Jiji. Now…you can walk away…or you can stay and fight me. What is your choice?"

Haku stays silent. 'Fighting for what you believe in?'

Naruto growls and shouts, "WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE!"

**

* * *

**

There you go! Did you like it? ^-^ I just knew this was going to be long…oh well…And there was a flashback! OoO I didn't mean to! I just…had to put

_**part**_** of their past in there…if you don't like flashbacks, tell me and I'll try to lessen them more…**

**-MosukeHinata**


	4. Recognition

**I apologize for not updating sooner, I had to focus on school and finals, but now that that's all over and done with, I can focus on this! More fanfiction! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Haku looks into Naruto's eyes with determination. "I'll do anything Zabuza-sama asks of me."

Kyuubi growls and Naruto clenches his fist. "I _really_ didn't want to hear that, Haku…"

Just then, Zabuza puts his hand on Haku's shoulder as he glares at Naruto and Kyuubi. "I don't know who you are, but Haku seems to know you and I had _told_ him not to come out. You two _kids_ must be extremely strong for him to disobey orders." He glances down at Haku to see him slightly shrinking away. He glares back at the two boys with blank headbands. "Whoever you are, it seems that our battle is over…for now…"

With his hand still firmly on Haku's shoulder, Zabuza disappears into a mist, bringing Haku along with him.

Naruto stares at the spot where his long-lost friend had once been standing.

"_He's not here, Naruto! Let's go!"_

"_B-but, Kyuu! What if he just left for a second! We __**have**__ to wait!" Naruto says in protest._

"_Haku's gone, Naru. He found his purpose. Let's get going. We don't have that much time to waste," Kyuubi says before grabbing Naruto's hand and pulling him along the snow-covered bridge._

_Naruto looks sadly back at the spot where Haku had once been sitting in. 'I truly hope you're safe, Haku-san… Wherever you are…' Begrudgingly, Naruto turns around and follows Kyuubi out of the city._

Naruto frowns down at his feet. "K—er, Tenma…" Kyuubi turns and looks at Naruto. "I thought he was our friend…"

Kyuubi stares at Naruto's saddening face and he feels a surge of jealousy. 'Naruto's only supposed to be thinking about me!' "That just goes to show you that we can't trust _any_ ninja!" He glances at the four Konoha ninja standing not too far off. "Even if you once knew them…" Naruto clenches his teeth together tightly and closes his eyes in an attempt to stop his tears.

"I don't mean to interrupt your…moment…but I have to get back home and would you two mind helping me get there?"

Naruto and Kyuubi look at Tazuna. Naruto grins and says, "No problem, Jiji!"

Kyuubi smirks and asks, "What, these third-rate ninja can't protect you?"

Kiba growls, "Who you callin' third rate! If we're third, that would make you first! HA!" The entire clearing stares at Kiba. "Oh wait…"

"Burn~," Naruto says with a grin. "You're so stupid you just insulted yourself!" He turns to Kyuubi. "Let's go, apparently these _genin_ aren't ready for a real mission. They're still so weak." Naruto turns around and starts walking.

That was it. Sasuke had finally cracked. No one, **NO ONE**, calls him weak and gets away with it! Except his brother, but that's different! He pulls out a kunai and charges at "Raiden". His eyes widen when he suddenly disappears and a kunai is at his neck. "Before charging in blindly, always find out your opponents strengths and weaknesses."

Sasuke growls as Raiden moves away from him and back to his comrades. "Sensei," he grinds out in a strained voice. "Let's just get on with the mission." He looks back at Kakashi who is staring at Raiden. When Kakashi does not respond, Sasuke begrudgingly repeats himself, "Let's just get on with the mission, Sensei."

Kakashi stares at Raiden and doesn't hear Sasuke's first question. 'Why does he look so familiar?' He blinks and looks away from Raiden to Sasuke when he repeated himself. "Y-yeah…sure."

Kyuubi looks at Kakashi. "You, the jounin, do you want us to follow you to Wave and help you?" He glances at Naruto who shrugs. "Why, this is your team, right?" Kyuubi snorts. "How long ago were they in the academy?"

Kakashi looks at Tenma and shrugs. He puts back on his easy going demeanor and answers, "I'm cool with it." He looks over at his charges and asks, "What about you guys? Are you fine with it?" Ignoring the medley of negatives, Kakashi answers, "Of course they're fine with it, too!"

Raiden snorts and says, "You ignored his other question, dumbshit."

"What question?" Kakashi asks innocently. Raiden and Tenma both sweatdrop before turning back to Tazuna.

"Looks like we're gonna be accompanying you, Jiji!" Raiden says happily. He links his fingers behind his head and starts walking toward Wave.

Tenma shakes his head slowly. "I thought I was able to beat that habit out of you."

Kakashi's eyes widen in shock as he stares at the boy named, "Raiden". _A flashback takes over his mind and he sees a little boy with blond hair walking with his hands linked behind his head. The boy turns around and smiles at him, murmuring, "Ne, you aren't skipping out on something again, are you, Kakashi-san?"_ Kakashi blinks and looks at the ground and starts walking. 'Where'd that come from? Don't tell me…that boy…Raiden is…?' "…Naruto," he quietly mutters as he looks at Raiden tense up ever so slightly before relaxing again. Kakashi's eyes narrow. 'There's no other solution. I've finally found your son, Sensei.'

Tenma glances back at Kakashi to see him glaring daggers at him. 'What's his problem?'

'Of course,' Kakashi thinks, 'that boy he's with…he must be the one who corrupted him!' Kakashi's hand involuntarily inches towards his kunai pouch. 'What is he? His chakra is so sinister…'

"Why are you so tense, jounin-san?" Kyuubi asks, venom slightly lacing his voice. Kakashi glares at him once more before stopping, causing Kiba, Sakura, and Sasuke to stop as well. Naruto, Kyuubi, and Tazuna all stop and turn around to face the on-guard jounin.

"What are you?" Kakashi grounds out, his left hand at his headband.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Tazuna shouts in fear.

Kakashi doesn't even glance at the old bridge builder. "S-sensei," Sakura whimpers. "What are you doing?"

"I asked you a question, Tenma! Or is that not your real name?"

Tenma grins evilly. "God, I've been waiting for a good fight! Maybe you'll give it to m—"

"Tenma! Do. Not. Fight. Them," Raiden says, his tone leaving no room for debate. Tenma growls before scoffing. "I know you told me not to trust them, but people change."

"Yeah, _people_ change! There's no way in hell that the things in that village are _human_!" He shouts, his eyes flashing with bloodlust. "Those damn things in Konoha…don't tell me you forgot what they did to you! _They're_ the monsters…" Naruto looks down sadly, his eyes glazed over as he remembers a particularly cruel beating he got from some chunin.

"You and I both know that those genin were too young to know anything. And Kakashi even tried to help me!" Kyuubi stops growling and stares at Naruto in shock.

"So it _is_ you," Kakashi says in surprise. "Naruto…" Naruto looks at him in surprise. "My name was never said before you just did."

Naruto gasps slightly before muttering curses under his breath. He sighs and looks back at Kyuubi to see his still curious gaze. "He stopped so many of the villagers' beatings," he explains. "They weren't smart enough to plan ahead to attack me while he was out of the village. The shinobi on the other hand…" he trails off sadly. "He's patched me up so many times I lost count. So, as I said before, do. Not. Fight. Them."

Tenma falls silent and nods. He looks up at Kakashi and silently thanks him. 'Because of this man, my Naru's still alive. I owe him…'

"You know this boy, Sensei?" Sasuke asks curiously.

Kakashi glances at him before nodding. "Naruto was once a part of our village—"

"Well since he's out and not wearing a Konoha hitai-ate, that makes him a nuke-nin, right?" Sakura asks, wanting to look smart in front of Sasuke.

Naruto scoffs. "Do you really think they'd let a little kid become a genin. I'm months _younger_ than you!" He crosses his arms and glares at Sakura. "Besides, if you haven't forgotten, I was in your class at the academy!"

Sasuke's eyes widen as he remembers a blond haired boy who always kept to himself. 'This…is that kid? Why is he so strong? Is this village making me weak?' He frowns and glances at the red head. 'I've never seen him before.'

"Naruto, who's that boy next to you?" Kakashi asks warily.

Naruto falls silent and says, "I think you and I both know the answer to that question, especially since I went to the Shizen no Genshou a lot." He smiles knowingly as Kakashi's eyes widen.

"I thought that place was a myth," he mutters under his breath. Naruto grins and shakes his head. Kakashi gulps and looks at the red head. 'The Kyuubi…damn.'

Sasuke looks at Kakashi strangely. 'What's with him? Why is he looking at that red head like that? Is he dangerous?'

Kakashi looks at Naruto. "Why?"

Naruto shrugs and smirks while saying, "I needed a trainer who I can trust."

"And you think you can trust him!" Kakashi growls out in anger.

Naruto falls silent and looks down at his feet. A memory flashes in his mind.

_A blond haired ten year old boy walks across a clear lake, carrying a bucket and looking below the surface for fish. He stops as a school of bass swims slowly beneath his feet. He licks his lips and sits down Indian-style with the bucket on his lap. He stops concentrating the chakra in his left hand and reaches down into the water. He swiftly snatches four fish with his one hand and pulls them out, dropping them into his bucket._

_He stands up and carefully carries the bucket of flailing fish back to the shore where his campsite resides. By the time his feet hit dry land, the bucket and fish inside have stilled. "I'm sorry, fishes," he mumbles as he sets the bucket next to the roaring fire. "But Kyuu and I haven't eaten in days, so…" He picks up a stick and waits for a bit to make sure the fish are really dead._

_He blinks in thought. 'Speaking of Kyuu…where is he?' He glances around and lingers as he peers into the forest. He looks down sadly. 'Darn, I was really starting to like spending time with him.' Naruto's shoulders slump and he whimpers slightly. 'Kyuu…'_

_A man steps on a twig, "Shh," another man whispers from the bushes._

"_It's just a young kid, it's not like he's gonna hear us!" the first man growls quietly and looks back as Naruto looks in the bucket once more._

"_But you saw what he was doing! He was walking on water! He's not just any kid," the other man whispers, smacking the other guy on the back of the head._

"_He's a ninja, so what? He's got good chakra control, that doesn't mean he's a good ninja! Let's just get him!" He jumps from the bushes and laughs. "What do we have here, a kid all alone in the forest." Naruto jumps up and holds a kunai out in front of his chest as he glares at the two men. "Aw, how cute. Look, he's gonna fight back."_

_The other laughs and grins intimidatingly at Naruto, saying, "Now, play nice, kiddie, and maybe we won't kill you."_

_Naruto growls and stares warily at the two men. "What the hell do you want?"_

"_Some supplies. It's expensive, you know. And that fish looks mighty tasty…"_

_Naruto growls and rushes forward. "Get out of here, you bastard!"_

_The two kunai clash and Naruto winces slightly when he feels the other man overpowering him in strength. "Didn't your mommy teach you to watch your mouth?" The man grins and flings Naruto's kunai into the woods, pushing him down in the process. "Now be a good kid and stay quiet!" The man grabs a rope and ties Naruto up the second he falls to the ground._

_Naruto struggles quietly and glares at the two men as they rummage through his camp. 'No! I couldn't protect anything! My promise to Kyuu is ruined!' He can feel his lower lip starting to quiver and the tears threatening to fall from his eyes._

"_Aw, is the kiddie gonna cry?" the first man teases. The other man looks over at the bound kid. "Hey," he says, causing his accomplice to look at him, "Let's have some __**fun**__ with him…"_

_Naruto's eyes widen and he finally allows the tears to fall from his eyes. 'No… oh god, no!' Naruto gulps as the other man shrugs and they both make their way toward him, and closes his eyes. "Help me! Somebody help me!" he mutters under his breath._

"_Don't worry, kid, we'll be nice and gentle," he says with a deep chuckle. Naruto starts hyperventilating and shrinks back, kicking at the ground, trying to escape. "Oh, there's no point in trying to escape us, kid! Now," he says, grabbing hold of Naruto's shirt and pulling him up towards his face. With the boy's lips a mere centimeter away from his, the man grins and says, "Stay quiet and I'll be sure to go easy while I take your virginity."_

_Naruto whimpers, closing his eyes, and just as the man moves his hand to pull Naruto in a kiss, the hand disappears and so does the bad breath that once engulfed his nose. Naruto opens his eyes and stares in awe as Kyuubi beats the two men into submission. He feels a single tear slide down his face. "Kyuu…" he whispers out._

_Kyuubi stops with his beating of the already unconscious men to look back at Naruto. He frowns. "He didn't touch you, did he?" At Naruto's shake of his head, Kyuubi sighs in relief and smiles softly at Naruto. "I'm glad."_

"_Y-you saved me…"_

_Kyuubi blinks in shock before grinning at his tiny crush. "Of course I did! I'll always be around to protect you! Just say my name and I'll be there!" He suddenly gets serious as he walks over and unties Naruto's ropes. "I'll never let anything bad happen to you, and that's a promise."_

"I trust him with my life…" Naruto's blood boils and he looks up at Kakashi with a heated glare, "And if you try to attack him, I swear I'll kill you in an instant!" He growls, his eyes changing into a demonic crimson. His fingernails and teeth almost double in length and the lines on his face become more defined. Kakashi tenses slightly at Naruto's change in appearance. He glances down at his team; they were all staring at Naruto in shock and fear.

He smiles warmly at Naruto, trying to get him to calm down. "Don't worry, Naruto. I wouldn't dream of doing that." He pauses before adding, "Just so long as he has no intention of hurting me, my team, or our client."

Kyuubi growls out, "What do you take me for, jounin! I'm sure you have absolutely _no_ idea what happened that day twelve years ago! I'm innocent you bastard!" He crosses his arms and glares at Kakashi with a scowl set on his face.

"Hey, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but could you explain it once I get back to my place?" Team seven shrug and start following Tazuna and Naruto and Kyuubi once more. Kiba stares warily at Naruto and Kyuubi still confused by the conversation between them and Kakashi only moments ago. Sasuke stares at Kyuubi in thought, wondering if this boy was willing to train him, if he was the reason Naruto got so strong, of course. Sakura, being completely oblivious as to what was going on, she stares in confusion at the two boys walking in front of them. Kakashi, still wary of Kyuubi's power, stays on guard as they walk towards Wave.

Naruto walks with his hands behind his head and grins and says, "I wonder if Inari is gonna recognize us, eh, Kyuu?"

Kyuubi smirks and says, "Oh, if he doesn't remember me…well, let's just say he's gonna need a new room." Naruto playfully shoves him.

"You're horrible!"

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**There it is. Tell me how you like it! I hope to add more chapters and new stories really soon.**

**Read and Review~! ^-^**

**-MosukeHinata**


	5. A New Training Partner and Blackmail

**Yeah…many of my readers (of this story and my others) have been asking for longer chapters, so here you go, I do believe that this is one of the longest for this story. Please enjoy.**

**Reminder: Tenma = Kyuubi**

**Raiden = Naruto**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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With a burst of wind, the door to the little house is flung open and Kyuubi walks haughtily into the kitchen. Tsunami immediately whips around from the sink and the pile of dirty dishes she was tackling to see the red-haired boy standing next to her dining room table.

"Ne, long time no see, Tsunami-nee-chan!" Kyuubi greets happily.

"See, see!" Naruto shouts, running into the room. He skids to a stop points at Tsunami with a grin. "I _told_ you I'd be back!" He runs up and hugs the stunned woman around the waist. Kyuubi clenches his fist as jealousy rises within him. This does not go unnoticed by Kakashi who had just ushered his team into the room.

"It's finally good to see my daughter after so long!" Tazuna shouts happily as he walks into the house, taking off his hat. He walks into the room and sits in one of the chairs at the table. He stares up at Tsunami's confused expression for a few seconds before saying, "Don't tell me you've forgotten about Raiden and Tenma?"

Tsunami blinks before looking at the blond and red headed ninja respectively. She smiles, "Oh my god, I didn't recognize you two! You've grown so much. I'm guessing I can't call you 'chan' anymore, can I?" Kyuubi growls quietly at the prospect of being called that. He hated it! On the other hand, 'chan' fits Naruto perfectly. I mean, at the thought of being called 'chan' again, he pouts and glares weakly at Tsunami.

Just then, quiet footsteps sound from the staircase before a little boy, no older than eight, bounds down the stairs into the arms of the old man sitting in the chair. "Jiji!" he shouts happily. "You're finally home!"

"Inari!" the old man says happily, petting the boy's head. The boy smiles before turning to look at the genin standing in the doorway.

"Who're they?"

Tazuna glances at them before looking back at Inari. "These are the big, bad Konoha shinobi who're gonna protect me while we finish the bridge," he says with a grin.

Inari blinks at him before looking back at the genin with a glare. "Why don't you just leave, you're all gonna die! There're only two ninja strong enough to fight off Gatou, and it's none of you! Get lost! Don't tell me you're all suicidal!"

Inari growls and someone taps him on his shoulder. He turns around to glare at the one bugging him but he stops and stars in shock at the boy standing there. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about me and Raiden-chan, would you, Inari?" Kyuubi asks with a cheeky grin.

Inari's eyes widen and he grins and hugs Kyuubi around the waist, much to Kakashi horror—what kind of ninja wouldn't be horrified when a little boy hugs the demon that destroyed their village—and grins happily. "Oh my god," he shouts once he unlatched himself from the red-head. "You guys are back! We're saved!" he shouts ecstatically and prances around before he stops and looks at Naruto and Kyuubi with tears in his eyes. "You guys _are_ going to save us, right?"

Naruto grins and holds out his fist. "I told you when we left: I'm going to protect this place like it's my home. It very well might be!"

Inari shouts happily and begins prancing around once more. "We're saved!" Naruto laughs and Kyuubi smirks.

Kiba growls, he's had enough! This brat comes running in here and telling _him_ that he's too weak to take on some has-been and then he turns around to those two brats from before, calling them their savior! God, how rude can you get? "Oi," he shouts at the brat, causing him to stop prancing around.

Inari stares at Kiba with scorn. "You guys are still here?"

Kiba's eye twitched and he takes out a kunai and points it at the kid. "You little br—" He can't finish his sentence because the blond kid, apparently called 'Naruto' by Kakashi but called 'Raiden' by everyone else walks in between him and the kid. "Move aside, half-pint."

Kyuubi swear-marked and takes a step back. At Kakashi's questioning gaze, he says, "It's one thing if I get mad and attack someone, but it's a whole different story if you piss _him_ off. Even _I_ won't tease him about his height anymore."

Kakashi blinks in shock before staring warily at the silent blond boy with his eyes hidden behind his bangs. 'Oh shit…can he really be that dangerous? What am I thinking; he was trained by a demon for Kami's sake!'

Naruto's teeth clench and his sharp canines nearly cut his bottom lip as he begins to speak, "_What_ did you say?" He lifts up his head to glare at Kiba. "I didn't quite _hear_ that!" He growls out, his crimson eyes shining brightly.

Sasuke stares at Naruto in confusion. 'His eyes,' he thinks, 'they're red, but they aren't the Sharingan. What are they? They look almost demonic.' He unconsciously shudders in fear. Strange, he hadn't been afraid of any pair of eyes excluding his brother's. What makes this _child_ any different? Sasuke's eyes narrow as Kiba takes a step back in fear.

Naruto smirks and says, "That's what I thought…" He walks past them, shoving them out of his way. "I'm gonna train on the lake, see you later, Tenma."

Kyuubi nods and sits down at the dining table, glancing back at the team. "So, Tenma," Tsunami says happily, "Which room do you and Raiden want?"

Kyuubi shakes his head, "No, it's okay. We can sleep on the roof."

She nearly drops the dish she was drying in shock. "O-on the r-r-roof?" Kyuubi grins at the look on her face.

"But won't you fall?" Sakura asks, causing Kyuubi to flinch.

He covers his ears and scowls at the girl. "Be quiet will you? Your voice irritates me, just shut up!" He growls and gets up. "And if you _must_ know, we like to sleep under a starry night sky." Sasuke watches as Kyuubi walks away from the table and to the window overlooking the lake. "We've become accustomed to it."

Kakashi stares at Kyuubi and says, "Of course you would, after spending over five years outside the village."

Kyuubi's eyes scornfully look at Kakashi. "What are you implying, Gaki?"

Sakura frowns. "Why are you calling Kakashi-sensei a brat? He's older than you! Show him some respect!" she shouts. She crosses her arms and stares scornfully at the redhead.

Kyuubi growls at her, his eyes narrowing dangerously before he smirks. "_Me_ show _him_ respect? He should be bowing down to me. There's no way he's anywhere _close_ to my level. In accordance to power, I'm a Kage and he's a pathetic academy student!" He barks out a laugh with a devious grin.

Sakura shudders in fear. 'No way…' She shrinks back away from the boy.

Kiba's eyes widen and Akamaru hides in his coat. 'God, that kid…can he really be that strong?'

Sasuke's eyes flash to Kyuubi. 'A Kage and an academy student based on their level of power?' He smirks and stares at the laughing redhead. 'Yes, I'll get stronger with him!' He glances at his sensei. 'Sorry, Kakashi, but you're no longer needed…'

Kyuubi opens the window and jumps up onto the windowsill, holding onto the side paneling. "See you later!" He calls, giving a two-fingered salute before disappearing into the bushes below.

Sakura sighs and looks up at Kakashi. She forces a smile and asks, "He was kidding, right, Kakashi-sensei? He isn't really that strong. You're the strongest shinobi around, right?"

Kakashi stays silent, looking at the place where Kyuubi had once been sitting. He sighs and says, "No, he's stronger than me. If we were to fight one-on-one, I wouldn't last a minute."

Sasuke nods to himself. 'Yep, I'm definitely going to train with that guy.'

Kakashi sighs once more before he turns to his team. "Okay, one: don't piss off Naruto or his friend, two: we still have to protect the client, the mission is not yet over, and three, go up and get some rest, we'll start training in two days, okay? Use tomorrow to get to know the area." He nods and starts heading up the stairs to the second floor.

Sasuke watches as his other two teammate walk up the steps to their rooms before he turns and walks out of the house. He gently closes the door and looks around for Kyuubi. He frowns and wanders around to the surrounding forest. He stops at the edge and looks over the lake, Naruto was gone.

He groans, now there was no one who could help him find that redhead. Just before he's about to sulk and go back to the house, voices reach his ears. He hesitates before quietly making his way deeper into the forest. He crouches behind a bush and watches Naruto and Kyuubi sitting cross-legged in the middle of a clearing.

"No, you're doing it all wrong, Naruto!" Kyuubi shouts in aggravation. "If you don't master this technique, you'll never be able to use my power, got it?"

Naruto pouts with his arms crossed in front of him. "How the hell am I supposed to 'master' it if you won't tell me how! Huh?"

Kyuubi sighs and opens his mouth to say something before he pauses and his eyes snap to the certain Uchiha hiding behind a bush. "What do you want, Uchiha?" he growls out, his eyes narrowing.

Sasuke frowns, standing up and coming out of the bush. "How did you know who I was?" Sasuke stops walking when Kyuubi growls at him. 'What's his problem?'

Naruto sighs and looks up at Sasuke. "Sorry about him, Sasuke-san, he just doesn't like Uchihas…" Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Naruto turns to look at the standing boy. "So, what is it that you've come here for?"

Sasuke glances at Kyuubi, momentarily rethinking his idea before he says, "I want you two to train me." Surprised, Kyuubi stops growling and stares at the boy in disbelief. Naruto blinks in shock.

"Really? Why?"

Sasuke's fists clench. "I need to get stronger. There's someone…there's someone who needs to die by my hand," Sasuke growls out, a hidden fire blazing behind his eyes.

Kyuubi stares at Sasuke, impressed. 'The boy's got determination.' He glances over at Naruto and smirks. "Well," Kyuubi says with a smirk, "what makes you think that I'd allow you to be our pupil? What makes you worthy?" He stands up, pulling Naruto with him. He crosses his arms and looks down his nose at the Uchiha with a smirk.

Sasuke's eye twitches and wants to shout out. 'I'm the last fucking Uchiha! What makes you think I'm not worthy!' He sighs and asks, "What do you mean _worthy_?"

Naruto sighs and shakes his head. "He's just asking why you want us to train you. Be specific and give us the real reason; the reason your heart is telling you."

Sasuke frowns in confusion. "'The reason my heart is telling me'? What the hell does even mean?" He scratches his head with a frown.

Naruto smiles and chuckles slightly, "Well, then, let's just work it out when we get there."

Sasuke scowls and glares at him. "What the fuck does _that_ mean?" Naruto just smiles and Sasuke crosses his arms. "I want to get stronger so I can kill my brother."

"Wrong," Naruto says, crossing his arms and staring at Sasuke blankly.

Sasuke's jaw drops. "I'm…_wrong_?" he asks in disbelief. Naruto nods. "You _can't_ be serious." He sighs and turns around, heading back towards the house.

Kyuubi raises an eyebrow before chuckling. "So, the great Uchiha just quits and runs away when he doesn't get what he wants? Man, I didn't know your clan was so weak…" Sasuke stops walking, frozen in his spot, before he turns around, the fire returning behind his eyes. "I guess Itachi really is the only _true_ Uchiha around," he mutters nonchalantly.

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouts, "What the _fuck_ do you know about Itachi! I'm going to be stronger than him! I'm going to be the best! He's not the only Uchiha around! He's not so strong! Why the fuck does everyone think—" he slaps a hand over his mouth, his eyes widen. He wasn't going to say it, not here. There was no way he was going to appear vulnerable to these people.

Naruto smiles a soft smile. "No, keep going. It's okay. You _need_ to say it. We won't judge you," he says, elbowing Kyuubi.

Sasuke pauses before straining out a 'fine'. He takes a deep breath before grumbling out an inaudible response. Naruto cups a hand to his ear. Yes, he _had_ heard it, but that doesn't mean he's gonna let Sasuke have his way. "What was that?" he asks.

Sasuke glares at him before he sighs and says, "Why the fuck does everyone…" he gulps and continues, "…think that he's better than me? Why…why did father love him more?" He moves his head down so that his bangs were covering his eyes. His shoulders slump forward. There, he had admitted it. He had finally admitted that he didn't hate Itachi; he envied him because his father cared about his brother rather than him. Sasuke scowls when he feels tears slipping into his eyes.

Naruto smiles softly at the boy standing vulnerably in front of him. He walks up and pats Sasuke on the shoulder. The boy looks up at him. "Now, what is it you want and I mean what you _truly_ want."

Sasuke looks down with a sigh. "I want…I want to…" he falters slightly, glancing at Naruto and Kyuubi. 'I can't believe I'm actually admitting this… I barely even know them! But…why do I get this feeling that they can help me? They'll make me stronger and I don't think it'll just be physically…' He takes one more deep breath before saying, "I want to become a person my family would be proud of. I want…to be loved and cared about for who I am, not what I'm expected to be."

Naruto looks over at his red haired friend. Kyuubi nods, causing Naruto to smile. "You," Kyuubi says to the Uchiha, "have found some new trainers."

Sasuke's eyes widen and he becomes slack-jawed. A soft, rare smile makes its way onto his face. Naruto breaks out into a grin and latches onto Kyuubi's neck. "Aw," he sing-songs, "I knew you were always a softy!"

Kyuubi's eyes widen as Naruto snuggles his head into his neck. He feels his face heat up, his heart start to race, and his head starts to fog up. Oh, damn his crush on the boy—no, it's no longer a simple crush. But, feeling this way can't be possible, he's a demon; he can't fall in love. Though, ignoring that fact is as simple as destroying a village: quick, easy, and painless to oneself. 'He smells like a meadow,' he dazedly thinks, the scent overwhelming his sensitive nose. He nuzzles his nose deeper into those blond locks. Just before he loses himself completely to Naruto's alluring ways, he looks back at the Uchiha boy to see him staring back with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. 'Oh shit…'

* * *

**Sasuke knows Kyuubi's secret~!**

**-MosukeHinata**


	6. Unexpected Confessions and Realizations

**For all who are confused: in chapters 1 and 2, Naruto, Kyuubi, and all of the rookies are all seven years old. In the rest of the chapters, they are twelve/thirteen (you know how some of them are older than others by a few months, weeks, days, whatever). Also, since Naruto can't remember exactly what day he left the village, he only knows it was in fall, he decided that he and Kyuubi will share his birthday. If I didn't mention this before, Naruto left the village the very day Kyuubi finally became 100% tangible, he did not wait a few days to hoard up on ramen or anything; he left right then and there.**

**Sasuke calls Kiba Dobe.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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Sasuke blinks in shock when the blond latches onto his other companion. 'Well, that's odd…' he thinks. Before his mind can travel to other, more important things, such as training, his eyes widen slightly as the red head wraps his arms around the blond. 'What the…?'

Sasuke frowns ever so slightly. 'Don't tell me…does he…have _feelings_ for the other kid?'He starts nuzzling his nose into the blonde's hair. He raises an eyebrow. 'Oh yes, he most certainly does,' he thinks, a smirk dances on his face.

The red-head suddenly looks up at him, fear flashes in his eyes. 'Oh, so the kid doesn't know…I could use this to my advantage…' The fear morphs into fury, 'but that guy's strong, I don't really want to get on his bad side…' he thinks, fear rising within himself.

Sasuke turns towards the house, calling over his shoulder, "How about we start training on a later date, I mean, we've just gotten here and I believe I had interrupted something earlier." With that, Sasuke bolts out of the clearing towards the house before Kyuubi can even move.

'Damn,' the demon thinks, glaring at the shrubbery that Sasuke had disappeared into. 'He had better not be planning to use that as some kind of blackmail…'

"Kyuu," Naruto murmurs quietly, backing away from his demon. "Can you please tell me how to master that technique? You were really mean before," he says with a slight pout, adorning his already adorable face.

Kyuubi inwardly groans, why can't he say no to his Naru…? "Very well," he murmurs, sitting back down on the ground.

Naruto bounces up and down, looking as though he's about to start squealing in delight before he sits down in front of his demon turned sensei. "Okay, what do I do?"

* * *

Kakashi paces the kitchen, glancing out in the window every so often, praying to catch a glimpse of blue-black hair that is the youngest Uchiha. He scowls slightly when, once again, he does not see Sasuke coming down the path, thinking, 'Damn him…how the hell could that kid just slip out without my knowledge! Where the hell did he go?' Kakashi sighs before glancing out the window once more. The council was going to kill him if they found out he'd let their last chance of reviving the Uchiha clan die on a simple C-ranked mission. He slumps down into one of the chairs just as Tsunami comes in.

She blinks at the jounin before sitting down across from him. 'I might as well start up a conversation,' she thinks. "So, why so glum?"

Kakashi looks up at her before sighing and saying, "One of my students ran off, why are they so troublesome…" 'And great, now I sound like a Nara…'

Tsunami frowns. "Isn't that a bad thing? Aren't there dangerous ninja out there?"

Kakashi sighs almost inaudibly. "Yeah, but they won't strike for a while, I know that," he says quietly. "They can't, not with Naruto and…his companion…here."

"Naru-who? Oh, do you mean Tenma and Raiden?" She smiles softly and leans back in her chair. "Kami, it's been a long time since they've been here. I'm never going to forget that day when Raiden showed up at our doorstep with an unconscious Tenma on his back."

Kakashi blinks. 'Okay, I'm not following…' "Um…I've seem to have forgotten, could you remind me which one is which, again?"

Tsunami blinks, "Oh, well, Raiden is the blond one while Tenma is the red-head." Kakashi nods before frowning.

"What happened that made…Tenma…end up unconscious?"

She sighs dispiritedly. "That's a long story…I might as well make some tea," she says, getting up out of the chair and walking to the stove.

Sasuke leans up against the front door with interest. What had he almost just walked in on? 'Do I go in and possibly miss this important information? Or do I stay out here and get to hear it, but not voice my questions? If I go in, I might get to stay and listen, but I might also have to go upstairs and I'd _definitely_ have to listen to Kakashi's ramblings…' He sighs quietly and leans heavily against the door.

The door, not being closed completely, opens and Sasuke stumbles slightly, but does not fall. He looks up at Kakashi and Tsunami. "Hn," he murmurs before walking up and leaning against a wall.

"Where have you been?" Kakashi asks angrily.

"Out," Sasuke says nonchalantly.

Kakashi growls but before he can stand up and berate his student; Sakura comes bolting down the stairs. She wraps her arms around Sasuke, shouting, "Sasuke-kun! I missed you! Where have you been?"

"Hn," Sasuke says, trying not to make his eye twitch. "Get off," he says, shoving her away from him. She looks hurt for a second before smiling up at him. Sasuke inwardly growls at her. 'Damn, she's so stupid, why can't she see that I'm _not interested_ and I'll _never be interested_!'

Kiba suddenly comes bounding in the house, as though he was being chased by a demon. "Oh my, what's wrong?" Tsunami asks, concerned for the Konoha ninja.

Her question is answered with a roar of, "I'LL KILL YOU INUZUKA!"

She blinks before looking at Kiba incredulously. "Why would you even _try_ to piss of Tenma?"

The red head slams the door open, his crimson eyes blazing. "Where is he?" he growls, "Where is that dog-loving imbecile?" Kiba 'eep's and hides behind Tsunami. "I'll kill you!"

"Er…Tenma," Kakashi says peacefully. "I'm sure we can sort this out without violence."

"There's no way in hell we can," Kyuubi growls, not taking his eyes off Kiba. "That bastard's gonna die!"

Sasuke frowns. 'He's never been this pissed before. And where's that blond? Wait…don't tell me this has something to do with him…he did seem rather _protective_ of the little guy.' Sasuke looks between Kiba and Kyuubi before sighing and grabbing Kyuubi's arm and pulling him out of the house. 'I got to sort this out.'

The four other people in the house stare in shock that Sasuke was stupid enough to force that angry demon to do anything.

Sasuke roughly throws Kyuubi back down the walkway to the house. "What the hell's wrong with you?" he whispers harshly.

Kyuubi growls," Get out of my way, Uchiha!"

"Then tell me what the Dobe did!"

"That mutt hit on Naruto! There's no way I'm letting him live after that!" Sasuke blinks in shock.

"Kiba's gay?" he murmurs in shock. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "That Dobe's always getting in to trouble: him and his mutt." He looks back up at Kyuubi. "Okay, look, I know you like Naruto—that was his name, right?—but that gives you no right to beat the shit out of Kiba, no matter how much he deserves it."

Kyuubi growls. "I don't just _like_ him, I _love_ him! He means _absolutely everything_ to me! I'm not letting that mutt take him from me!"

"Kyuu," a quiet, surprised voice says from their left. Sasuke and Kyuubi both turn to see Naruto standing there, staring at Kyuubi in shock. "You…_love_ me?"

Kyuubi gulps and looks away. Sasuke almost sighs, he's so irritated, 'there goes my blackmail…'

"Why…why didn't you tell me before?" Naruto asks innocently, walking up to his demon trainer.

"What?" Kyuubi asks in surprise.

Naruto bites his lip and says, "I…I've liked you more than a friend for some time now. I'm not sure if I can call it love, but I do know that I like spending time with you and you're my most precious person. That mutt doesn't have a chance with me, no matter what he offers! I like _you_, Kyuubi."

Sasuke freezes. ''Kyuubi'?'

Kyuubi grins and runs up and hugs Naruto. "You're mine!"

Sasuke takes a step back. 'He's _the_ Kyuubi; the demon that rampaged and nearly destroyed our village years ago? No…that's not possible. The Yondaime killed it…right?'

Naruto's eyes suddenly widen and he pulls away from Kyuubi. "Oh shit," he murmurs, looking up at Sasuke in shock. He glances at Kyuubi's confused expression and says, "I said your name…"

Kyuubi's head snaps to look over at Sasuke. "Damn…looks like we'll have to take you with us then…"

"What?" Naruto and Sasuke shout in shock.

"Well, we can't have him out of our sight now that he knows our secret," Kyuubi says to Naruto.

"But Kakashi knows too!"

"Yeah, but he actually fears those who are stronger than him! This kid," he points his thumb at Sasuke, "doesn't give a damn."

Naruto's shoulders slump. "Great…" he looks up at Sasuke. "Looks like you're with us now. Instead of going back to Konoha when we're done here, we'll be headed to Suna. I have a friend there who might be interested in training you."

At that, Sasuke perks up, mumbling, "I didn't really have all that many attachments in Konoha, anyway."

Kyuubi smirks at how easily Sasuke agreed, "Maybe you aren't so bad. That makes two Uchihas who are actually decent."

Sasuke frowns. "Who's the other?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

* * *

Homura, one of the village elders, puts down her pen. She looks out her window, unknowingly in the direction of Wave, a foreboding feeling spreading throughout her being. 'What is this feeling? It feels like we're about to lose a big asset to our village and I'm helpless to do anything!' She scowls and turns back to his desk, deciding that she hates the feeling.

* * *

Sasuke stares at Kyuubi in shock before anger. "You met my brother and you think he's _decent_!"

Naruto blinks. "Yeah, he's devastated that those horrible bastards on the council ordered him to kill the Uchiha and the only reason they kept you alive is so that they can use you in a breeding stock… It's quite inhumane…"

Sasuke stops seething and stares at Naruto in shock, quietly saying, "No…that can't be true…" He looks down at the ground in front of him. There are a few minutes of silence that have Naruto worried he said the wrong thing. "He was ordered to? Why didn't he just say no?" he asks in a quiet voice.

"Because the chances of _you_ surviving would be zero if he passed it on to someone else," Kyuubi explains, glancing at the house to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. He frowns when he hears footsteps heading to the door. He turns to Naruto and says, "Comfort him, he's obviously been lied to, like everyone else we trust." Naruto nods and watches as Kyuubi walks up to the house, slipping inside before shutting the door behind him.

Naruto looks back at Sasuke. "It's gonna be okay," he says gently, walking up to the boy. "You're one of use now, you've been lied to and you're gonna prove to them that doing that was not their best idea, right?" Sasuke nods, not really listening to what Naruto was saying. "We know others; others who have been hurt, we're helping them, Sasuke. We can help you too."

Sasuke sighs. "Why didn't I see it?"

Naruto shakes his head. "Itachi's too good. There's no way you would have been able to. Don't beat yourself up about this."

Naruto awkwardly pats Sasuke on the shoulder. "What do I do?" Sasuke asks in a small voice, confusion clearly evident.

"You become one of the best."

* * *

Kyuubi glares up at Kakashi. "Leave now! I won't kill that mutt of yours, but it'd be in your best interest _not_ to talk to Sasuke."

Kakashi's eyes narrow. "What did you do?"

"Me? I did nothing. Your village…well, if I told you what they did then we'd be here all day."

Kakashi glares at the demon and glances out the window. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing he shouldn't already know…" he says vaguely. He then crosses his arms and leans against the door. "I'm not letting any of you out of this house until Sasuke's back to his old self." 'And I don't mean that ass he was now; I mean the personality he had when he was seven…when he adored his brother's every move, not abhorred it…'

* * *

**There you go, Sasuke's not gonna be the bastard he is in the manga. He's changing! Woot!**

**-MosukeHinata**


	7. The Return of Uchiha Itachi

**Title: Traveling with a Demon**

**Summary: With a promise of intense training to get stronger, Naruto takes Kyuubi up on his offer to leave the village. Will Naruto find something more than just strength on his training trip? Will he find love?**

**Pairings: KyuuNaru**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Okay, and a note from the old chapter: Homura is the female of the two Hokage advisors. I should've put that in there, sorry if you didn't know…**

**Sorry about not updating in forever; GOD, I HATE HIGH SCHOOL! But anyway, I'm doing a MASS UPDATE! And I was rereading some of my stories and thought: Oh dear lord, **_**I**_** wrote that? For shame… So, I put a poll on my profile about which stories I should rewrite. I won't be offended.**

**And as a note for that, I won't be changing much – usually just adding more description and showing foreshadowing and such. I won't be changing the pairings or the major plot points, but I may tweak a few small things, nothing major though.**

**Now, onto the story! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven – The Return of Itachi Uchiha**

* * *

Sasuke frowns, "I 'become one of the best'? What does that mean?" Naruto and Kyuubi have consistently confused him since the moment he met them. This _couldn't_ be good for his health..

Naruto grins. "That means Kyuu and I will train you to become one of the best shinobi out there! You'll be so strong that your brother will abandon his plan!" He was actually a bit excited about that. He loved messing with the older Uchiha. He was just so much fun to tease!

"Plan? What plan?" Sasuke asks urgently. Itachi had a plan? And it involved him?

"Eh," Naruto mutters, "It's too complicated for me to explain, ask him sometime." He looks out over the lake and mumbles to himself, "It might also have something to do with me falling asleep halfway through his explanation of it…"

Hearing Naruto's mumble, Sasuke raises an incredulous eyebrow. He shakes his head before turning back to the house. He needs to think this over. Ever since that night, he'd thought Itachi hated him, thought he was the bad guy and now…

Naruto immediately looks back at him. Maybe they shouldn't have told Sasuke all about Itachi just yet…

Sasuke looks away from the house to see Naruto staring blankly at him. "I'll be fine," he sighs. He glares at the ground. "Just keep everyone away from me if you can…I need some time to myself…"

"Will do!" Naruto shouts saluting Sasuke military style. Sasuke walks up to the door, and Kyuubi steps away from it, hearing his footsteps. He pushes the door open and walks inside, completely ignoring Kakashi and heading up the stairs.

Kakashi makes to follow, but Naruto appears in front of him on the stairs. "Move," Kakashi growls out. He's had enough of their games! They're messing with his students and he needs to find out what's going on!

Naruto shakes his head. "No can do! I gave my word, and I never go back on my word!" He folds his arms and scowls at the man before running up the stairs to stand guard outside the boy's bedroom. He said keep _everyone_ away from him, after all.

Naruto glares at all who pass by Sasuke's door as the boy inside thinks over what was said to him. His glares at Kiba were especially dark. That mutt should learn to keep away from him. Just because he had decided to go for a walk in the forest away from Kyuubi to meditate on the jutsu he was learning, doesn't mean he doesn't like the red-haired demon!

That mutt had the gall to just walk up to him and ask him out! Of course Naruto scoffed and turned him down, but the idiot just wouldn't quit! Then Kyuubi showed up when Kiba started saying some rather x-rated things. Naruto had never seen such a hateful look in Kyuubi's eyes.

* * *

Sasuke was sitting on his tatami mat, staring dully at the floor.

Itachi was innocent. But the council said he wasn't… Sasuke scowls.

He's been told lie after damned lie his entire life! But… can he truly just accept it? Just like that? If Itachi was innocent, and he loved Sasuke, why wouldn't he take the boy with him? Sasuke knew the answer to that. Itachi loved him, and wants him safe. At the time, it would be safer for an untrained seven year old to stay in the village.

'But Naruto left the village at that age!' an irritated voice calls out from the back of his mind. Sasuke scowls and stamps down that voice. Naruto had been traveling with a demon that has the strength to flatten a village! Sasuke would only have his brother.

While Itachi is strong, he may not have been strong enough to protect both of them.

Sasuke sighs and glances out his window. His eyes lazily follow a red-orange fox dashing into the forest. He frowns as it disappears into the foliage. Did he see a scroll in its mouth? Nah, he's just being delusional. He shakes his head and looks down again.

Kyuubi and Naruto had promised to train him, but the price was that he couldn't stay in the village. He snorts. That's easy enough. Everyone there was annoying and, apparently, the council wanted to use him as a breeding stock! Like he was some kind of animal! He growls and glares at nothing.

He wishes he had the sharingan. If he did, then he'd be able to destroy their asses. He wanted to prove to them not to mess with an Uchiha!

'Yeah! Raze that damned village to the ground!' Sasuke almost agrees with that voice, but something crosses his mind. Was it really the _entire_ village's fault? No. It was the council's fault; maybe not the current council, unless it hasn't changed in these past five years.

He sighs and lies back down on the floor, closing his eyes. Maybe if he just got some sleep, he'd be able to think about this better.

* * *

Outside the door, Naruto leans up against it and frowns. He could hear quiet snoring. Sasuke was asleep? He sighs and looks up, readying a glare, when he hears footsteps. He blinks. It was Kyuubi.

"Hey," the demon whispers. "Will he be able to hear us?"

Naruto shakes his head. "He fell asleep."

Kyuubi nods and gets closer, glancing around for eavesdroppers. "I sent a letter to Itachi. I used one of my fox summons."

Naruto nods. "What did you say?"

"That we met Sasuke. That we ended up telling him the truth. And that we're taking him away from the village," Kyuubi sighs and glares at the ground. "The way that damned place is run, it's like they're _trying_ to create enemies!"

Naruto shrugs. "They're stupid…"

"Yeah, they," Kyuubi falls silent. He heard footsteps. He glares at Kakashi, who was coming up the stairs. "What do you want?"

Kakashi stops a good distance away from the two boys. He glances at Sasuke's door. "What are your intentions with Sasuke?"

"They're with his best interests in mind," Kyuubi says vaguely.

Kakashi glares and his hand trails to his kunai pouch. "If you're planning on taking him away then I'll have to stop you."

Kyuubi smirks. "You think you _can_?" Naruto blinks and looks back at the door. It sounded like Sasuke was awake. He was coming this way. The blond opens his mouth to tell Kyuubi when Kakashi moves.

Kyuubi flings up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing a seal wrapped around his wrist. He doesn't notice Sasuke opening the door and blinking in shock at the scene in front of him. The not-so-evil demon activates the seal and pulls out the sword he had bought when he had first left with Naruto.

With a flash and the clash of metal, Kyuubi and Kakashi meet in the middle, both glaring at each other. Kyuubi was growling, his hair becoming wilder and his expression more feral. He was dipping into his chakra.

The sound doesn't go unnoticed. Tazuna, Inari, and Tsunami all come upstairs and stare wide-eyed at the scene. Kiba and Sakura come out of their respective rooms and look nervously at the two clashing shinobi before them.

Kyuubi smirks. "Like the sword, eh, Gaki?" Kakashi was eyeing the sword warily. "I've had it custom made." They pull back and square off once more. "It can even handle my chakra streaming through it." He looks fondly at the blade. "I've went toe-to-two with some of the strongest nin with this."

"Oh? And who would that be?" Kakashi asks lazily, looking Sasuke over. He seemed unhurt.

"Oh, Orochimaru, Itachi, Kisame, you know, S-rank ninja," Kyuubi says casually.

Kakashi's eyes widen. "Aw, Kyuu," Naruto whines. "Why do you always frighten your enemies?"

"They're fun to play with," he responds, causing Sasuke to snort. Kyuubi smirks. "But I do have respect for the dying; I give them the honor of landing at least one non-lethal hit on me before I kill them."

Naruto snorts. "That didn't happen before."

Kyuubi scowls; Naruto was thinking of those two bastard thieves who had tried to steal from them when Kyuubi wasn't there. Those idiots had the _gall_ to even _think_ about touching his Naruto. "Yeah, well, that was different. Those bastards deserved to die!"

Naruto sighs and shakes his head. "No one deserves to die."

Sasuke and Kyuubi both disagreed with the blond but kept quiet. Kyuubi then turns back to Kakashi, who was watching the interaction warily and in confusion. How could Naruto act so calmly around the demon? It didn't make sense! He's supposed to hate it! It was the reason the villagers treated him like crap! It attacked Konoha for kami's sake!

"How can you be so casual with it?" Kakashi asks Naruto. "It attacked Konoha! It killed hundreds of people!"

Kyuubi's eyes flashed, and in a second, his blade was at Kakashi's throat. "If you think I had a choice in that matter, then you're sorely mistaken." He growls and pulls away, sneering at the ground. These Konoha fools were so ignorant!

Kakashi was confused. The demon didn't have a choice? What was that supposed to mean? "What?"

"I'm going to the roof," he says, shoving Kiba out of the way as he walks past. With a warning glare at the mutt to stay away from Naruto, he clambered out of the window at the end of the hallway and onto the roof.

Naruto sighs. "I'm surprised he didn't kill someone. He absolutely hates it when someone says that." He glares at Kakashi. "Next time, asshole, watch your mouth."

Naruto growls and follows Kyuubi out to the roof. Silence reigns in the hallway. No one knows what to say…

Sasuke was in shock. The Kyuubi didn't attack Konoha by choice? He glances over in time to see Kakashi heading his way. He inwardly groans and slams the door shut. He didn't want to speak with that man right now!

He turns around, intent on slipping out the window, but stops in shock. Standing not two feet in front of him was the man who had been the subject of his thoughts for the past few hours. "N-nii-san?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Itachi smiles sadly at him. He opens his mouth to speak, but the door starts opening. It was Kakashi.

The two older men stare at each other over Sasuke's head. Sasuke briefly entertains the thought of him being too short before Itachi picks him up around the middle and jumps out the window. Sasuke's eyes were wide as they land on _top_ of the water. He knew that if he trained hard enough, he'd eventually be able to do this, but since he couldn't just yet…

Sasuke holds tightly onto his older brother, not wanting to get wet. Itachi realizes that Sasuke probably didn't know how to walk up walls, let alone walk on water just yet, so he jumps onto the shore. He sets Sasuke down just as Kakashi lands in front of him.

"Itachi," Kakashi says, his eyes narrowing.

Itachi glances over to the building, seeing Naruto and Kyuubi standing up on the roof, ready to move if they were needed. Itachi mentally curses. He needs to speak with Sasuke! He stares impassively at Kakashi. "It would be best if you were to move aside, Kakashi-san," he says.

His only response is another glare.

Sasuke looks at his brother. Was he really innocent? Well, there was only one way to find out. But first, he had to get away from that annoying Kakashi. His sensei seemed to be too preoccupied with focusing on his brother that he didn't catch the little boy pulling out smoke bombs.

Sasuke throws them on the ground in between the two shinobi and grabs hold of Itachi. He takes a deep breath, jumps, and they fall into the lake.

Itachi, catching onto Sasuke's idea, grabs hold of his brother and they swim to the other side of the lake, which passed under part of the forest. It came up in a small pond somewhere within the forest that most people didn't know about.

Moving quickly with the use of his chakra, Itachi pulls Sasuke and himself up into the pond. They break the water's surface and gasp for air. They pull each other out of the pond and sit on the back. Itachi then turns to Sasuke. "We need to talk, Otouto."

* * *

Kyuubi sits back down on the roof with a smirk. "It seems that kid's brighter than I thought," he murmurs to Naruto.

Naruto snorts and curls up next to him. "You're just saying that because he humiliated Kakashi."

Kyuubi pretended to think about it. "I guess you're right."

Naruto snorts and snuggles up to him. "Now shush! I want a nap before we go see if either Uchiha survives this meeting." Kyuubi shakes his head but pulls the blond closer nonetheless.

"I spoil you."

"That you do," Naruto says with a cheeky grin.

* * *

**Alright, who should I pair Sasuke with since he's going to be a main character? No, I don't really want to add him to the main pairing, but I don't really know who I should pair him up with… Gaara, maybe? Eh, just tell me your opinion.**

**-MosukeHinata**


End file.
